# I Got Nailed By Canada Customs



## O-Danger (Apr 26, 2008)

So I recently placed an order online for some Cigars from a vendor. The package arrived today with $250 worth of Tax attached to them. This is close to twice the amount I paid for the cigars alone. I am in Alberta right now (~185% provincial tabacco tax on taxable price... which is 1.3 times the cost of the cigars) and I will soon be going to Ontario (~85% provincial tax on cigars). This tax is crazy. We may have Cubans but we get taxed like mad


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## shaggy (Dec 28, 2006)

from my limited knowledge u have two options....pay the taxes and duties or send them back.


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## Costa (Jan 26, 2008)

My God, thats a shame. I hope it works out for you bud.


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## DMK (Jun 16, 2008)

Yep, what Shaggy said, Pay the extortion fees or return the sticks. 
If it is the guy who use to ship out of Hong Kong, you are well and truly screwed cuz he won't refund the money for the box either.....
I won a box of Monte #4's a few years back in a contest a BOTL from Australia ran.... the winnings were shipped from "a vendor" and I was assured that the declaration would not mention.... 
Well it did and I refused the box and got nothing.


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## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

PM sent


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## freakygar (Dec 13, 2007)

Old Sailor said:


> PM sent


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## DonnieW (Jul 2, 2008)

ahc4353 said:


>


That's HILARIOUS :r


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## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

ahc4353 said:


>


:r:r:chk:r:r


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## hardcz (Aug 1, 2007)

ahc4353 said:


>


Ouch, that hurts


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## Bax (Sep 12, 2007)

That's funny! :ss


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## boonedoggle (Jun 23, 2006)

good grief! You should move.


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## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

Keep it up Al......keep it up!!:gn:gn:r


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

Old Sailor said:


> Keep it up Al......keep it up!!:gn:gn:r


You really gonna take that $hit off Al? I thought you were a Bosun Mate?


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## Cadillac (Feb 28, 2007)

That has to be the funniest thing I've seen on this board yet! :tu


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## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

Whenever I send anything to folks at home, I lie like a bastard on the customs declaration. Fakem. 

Had one package opened out of dozens ... sent a Glycine Airman to my brother that I received free in a contest. They wanted >$1000 in duty & taxes, placing some ridiculous value on the thing. At the time it was worth maybe $550. I wrote several letters and they eventually let him have it without a scalping, he ended up paying $150 or so. Still was a major PITA.


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## japhi (Apr 2, 2008)

O-Danger said:


> So I recently placed an order online for some Cigars from a vendor. The package arrived today with $250 worth of Tax attached to them. This is close to twice the amount I paid for the cigars alone. I am in Alberta right now (~185% provincial tabacco tax on taxable price... which is 1.3 times the cost of the cigars) and I will soon be going to Ontario (~85% provincial tax on cigars). This tax is crazy. We may have Cubans but we get taxed like mad


I've been hit by customs before and the cigars with duty came close to what I would have paid retail. I paid for the package. If you average it over a number f shipments you come out way ahead. I think they key is to keep the orders small and ave a vendor that will accept a returned package.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

Why not just ship them to lowest taxed Province and then mail from there?


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## jordon (Mar 23, 2004)

shaggy said:


> from my limited knowledge u have two options....pay the taxes and duties or send them back.


that is why most won't ship to Canada anymore. too many people pick your option 2.

IMO, you only have one option - pay the taxes, its the law. p


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## winnie (Feb 27, 2007)

so far so good for me, but if I got hit for alot of money, I would probably refuse the shipment. I have a pretty good relationship with one of the vendors I use, the other one I'm not as sure about.


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## DonnieW (Jul 2, 2008)

mosesbotbol said:


> Why not just ship them to lowest taxed Province and then mail from there?


Its against the law to ship tobacco inter-province, but I like your idea.


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## audio1der (Mar 8, 2006)

I do hope you paid up.
We all know the risks before we order.


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## K Baz (Mar 2, 2007)

I am going to hope too - I hope they lower the tax on tobacco.

I figure if your hoping I would go to the source of our issues.

Yeah it is pain but for the good of all of us it is probably best to pay as I have seen to many retailers stop shipping to Canada in my short time.


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## robofan (Jun 7, 2008)

DonnieW said:


> Its against the law to ship tobacco inter-province, but I like your idea.


Do they actually open and inspect packages that are shipped inter-province?


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## ahbroody (Mar 24, 2008)

Having friends in the states can be a great thing.


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## DonnieW (Jul 2, 2008)

robofan said:


> Do they actually open and inspect packages that are shipped inter-province?


 
I doubt it, and frankly most people probably don't even know there is a law around it.

I think that's just silly, we have some great cigar dealers on the west coast as well as some in Quebec - but they cannot ship to us here in Ontario... silly.


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## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

robofan said:


> Do they actually open and inspect packages that are shipped inter-province?


not unless you tell them whats in it.


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## ZedR2 (Jul 6, 2008)

I used to buy from Famous Smoke in PA and they have their own broker on site and the tax & duties is all set up down there , well I put in an order and the total came to $138.00 for the cigars and $196.00 for the duty , I have been dealing with them for years so I went through with the transaction ..
Now the USP driver pulls up and says to me 'bad news' , I said whats that and he said you have to pay $196 in duty , I said I already paid it but wasn't going to argue with the guy as my sister is a big shot with UPS and I knew she could take care of it so I gave the guy my card to swipe it and pay again ..
That whole order came to around almost $600.00 for three bundles of $35 cigars so I figured I was doing it the legal way and they still screw me over so screw them !
I now buy from other dealers and if the package gets opened and I have to pay the tax & duties fine but so far so good :ss


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## japhi (Apr 2, 2008)

jordon said:


> that is why most won't ship to Canada anymore. too many people pick your option 2.
> 
> IMO, you only have one option - pay the taxes, its the law. p


This is a really good point.

One of the more popular vendors told me today that they will not ship to Canada anymore. Apparently a lot of their clients return any packages with duty applied. To me that seems pretty ingnorant for a few reasons; an already mentioned we all know the risks when we order. Secondly, very rarely will the duties end up costing more than the local retail value of the sticks ordered.

I managed to talk the guy into shipping by giving him written notice that I would pay the duties regardless. If the duty is crazy, like 5X, I will eat the cost of the order and he gets his stick back. Even if I get hit with 3X the buy price in duties, I will be 50% cheaper than buying locally. I know what I'm getting into and I would ever screw a vendor.

Just a suggestion, bu if you don't have enough money to pay full pop for the sticks you order than do all Canadians a favour and don't order over the internet. Alternatively decline the sticks but do not do a chargeback or ask for a refund.


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## sailchaser (Jun 16, 2007)

It sucks but that unfortunatly is the price when we play:hn


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## SilverFox (Feb 19, 2008)

Dead horse...............meet beating stick.

Unfortunately there will always be those that do not care what impact there actions have on others.


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## japhi (Apr 2, 2008)

SilverFox said:


> Dead horse...............meet beating stick.
> 
> Unfortunately there will always be those that do not care what impact there actions have on others.


Sorry, didn't mean to beat the horse. I'm fairly new to the hobby and before today assumed that most people kept the smokes that got hit with customs, or ate the cost of the order. Obviously that's not the case.


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## the nub (Mar 24, 2006)

SilverFox said:


> Dead horse...............meet beating stick.
> 
> Unfortunately there will always be those that do not care what impact there actions have on others.


Very well said Shawn.

If you can't do the time don't do the crime. You can still dispute the assessment once you've accepted the package. Fill out the forms and send into CCRA with a 'proof' of cost. Be discrete with your 'proof'! The only 'correct' information they need is the cost of your cigars. They'll adjust the duty and tax and send you a cheque in about six months. Keep in mind that a fair value for your goods will be anywhere from $1-3 a stick. If your assessment reads that, don't bother sending it in or you'll be taxed more.


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## audio1der (Mar 8, 2006)

the nub said:


> Very well said Shawn.
> 
> If you can't do the time don't do the crime. QUOTE]
> 
> +1 For a well-spoken BOTL


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## BroncoHorvath (Aug 7, 2008)

That's why I go to Cuba twice a year and bring back my max. and I also get other passengers(that I became friends with during my trip) to bring back boxes if they don't smoke.

For US orders, I have 2 good dealers that I order from, and out of 20-25 orders, I haven't been bothered yet...I'm sure day I'll get nailed....


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